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Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

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Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#221

Post by piva00 »

iforgot22 wrote: post #101
ziddoap wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In 1998, a grant from the National Institute of Justice to the University of Maryland resulted in a report to the NIJ, which among other statements, concluded that "D.A.R.E. does not work to reduce substance use." [...] The evidence suggested that, by exposing young impressionable children to drugs, the program was, in fact, encouraging and nurturing drug use. > A ten-year study was completed by Donald R. Lynam and…

Kids didn't listen to it, but it was right. It painted weed and harder drugs as pointless and dangerous, which they are.

Pointless is quite wrong though. Drugs can be dangerous and because of it should require a lot of thought, education about, and respect if you partake on it but they are definitely not pointless.

If used in ways that doesn't affect someone negatively (and here is where the danger, education, and respect part comes in) it can provide life experiences that you could never, ever have by being sober.

Doesn't mean that a sober experience is subpar, it's just different, and it's ok if you want to live that way but it's not the only and "right" way to live a life.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#222

Post by its_Caffeine »

jrockway wrote: post #114
iforgot22 wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I knew some top students in college who started smoking weed then and continued. They're still programmers or scientists now, which isn't surprising given their education and talent, but something's wrong every time I talk to them. They seem scatterbrained and unable to remember what either of us said a minute ago. Edit: Forgot to specify, they're in their late 20s now.

> They seem scatterbrained and unable to remember what either of us said a minute ago. I've never used weed and definitely have moments like this from time to time. I think I'm old. And that having 3000 Slack channels piping content into your brain 8 hours a day isn't real good either. That said, I kind of understand the effect this thread is talking about. My youngest brother was doing a lot of smoking in high schoo…

Some of this is definitely social media use and short-form content consumption. My working memory improved significantly when I limited social media consumption and started reading instead. I personally haven't smoked weed in over 5 years.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#223

Post by anal_reactor »

brailsafe wrote: post #91

I'm inclined to believe that there is fairly likely to be long-term negative health effects from cannabis use, but that the very obvious correlation many people in this thread can probably identify with their friends in highschool is just that, a correlation, for some reason or series of reasons. My friends who really got into weed at that time were absolutely addicted to it, and some of them I do believe let it affe…

> As South Park put it, weed lets you feel ok about doing nothing, and that's dangerous in aggregate.

I'd say, this is a huge feature, because in modern society we're losing the ability to just sit and do nothing. Look at old people, sometimes they spend hours just sitting and looking through the window, completely zoned out. I can't do that for five minutes no matter how stoned I am. My life revolves around having a thousand hobbies and activities.

Having said the above, for some reason weed stopped being fun for me. Instead of making me relaxed and giggly, it makes me tired. I don't smoke it, I make edibles. Any suggestions?

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#224

Post by latexr »

somenameforme wrote: post #204
notjulianjaynes wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brave New World is actually a utopian story told from the perspective of a weird shut-in who only reads Shakespeare and the Bible.

Isn't it great to live in a world where everybody is entitled to their own opinions, eccentric though they may be.

The (western) world today is incredibly divisive, and differing opinions are not only met with hate but lies are rampant and people in power use this propaganda to keep themselves there, sucking resources from everyone else and cause untold amounts of suffering to satiate their infinite greed.

I’m not advocating for a world where people can’t speak their mind, but it does feel like a stretch to call the current situation “great”.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#225

Post by brailsafe »

anal_reactor wrote: post #223
brailsafe wrote: post #91

I'm inclined to believe that there is fairly likely to be long-term negative health effects from cannabis use, but that the very obvious correlation many people in this thread can probably identify with their friends in highschool is just that, a correlation, for some reason or series of reasons. My friends who really got into weed at that time were absolutely addicted to it, and some of them I do believe let it affe…

> As South Park put it, weed lets you feel ok about doing nothing, and that's dangerous in aggregate. I'd say, this is a huge feature, because in modern society we're losing the ability to just sit and do nothing. Look at old people, sometimes they spend hours just sitting and looking through the window, completely zoned out. I can't do that for five minutes no matter how stoned I am. My life revolves around having a…

> I'd say, this is a huge feature, because in modern society we're losing the ability to just sit and do nothing. Look at old people, sometimes they spend hours just sitting and looking through the window, completely zoned out. I can't do that for five minutes no matter how stoned I am.

In moderation, I agree. Although given that numerous people have asked me why I don't where headphones at the gym, I might be an outlier in terms of my ability to zone out and ponder, sober or not, which I do try and practice.

> Having said the above, for some reason weed stopped being fun for me. Instead of making me relaxed and giggly, it makes me tired. I don't smoke it, I make edibles. Any suggestions?

Nah, I feel similarly, and it probably means it's been too regular of a habit. Even though at most I'd be consuming 0.5g joints or 10mg gummies a few times a week, it feels like it's time to dial it back cold turkey for at least a few months, or keep it to weekends.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#226

Post by notjulianjaynes »

somenameforme wrote: post #204
notjulianjaynes wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brave New World is actually a utopian story told from the perspective of a weird shut-in who only reads Shakespeare and the Bible.

Isn't it great to live in a world where everybody is entitled to their own opinions, eccentric though they may be.

No. I want hundreds of people down at the docks having drug fueled orgies in broad daylight on the deck of a battleship. (Been a few years since I read it but pretty sure that's how the book ends ..) None of that real danger shit for me thanks.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#227

Post by notjulianjaynes »

briansm wrote: post #211
notjulianjaynes wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brave New World is actually a utopian story told from the perspective of a weird shut-in who only reads Shakespeare and the Bible.

And in another drug-parable 'The Matrix', Cypher is actually the hero, advocating the acceptance of the blue-pill retreat into synthetic chemical fantasy as opposed to the harsh depressing truth of reality. His failure ultimately leads to 'system failure' and the deaths of billions of adults unable to mentally deal with their expulsion from the dream-world.

The buddy-cop television series Limitless spin off series is superior to the Bradley Cooper movie of the same name.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#228

Post by dns_snek »

fsckboy wrote: post #200
_yb2s wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recommend getting evaluated for ADHD. Both drugs and non-drug management strategies can radically improve your quality of life. I don’t see how you can be “untestable.” There is no test- they interview you and other people in your life to see if you have the symptoms or not.

and the test is, try ritalin, if it helps you concentrate, it works. If not, no.

I'd think hard about the possible consequences of doing this. It could be challenging to explain if you're ever asked about it when undergoing official diagnosis, you might be forced to lie or risk being labeled a drug seeker.

And I don't think looking out for whether it "helps you concentrate" is a valuable metric. Healthy people also abuse stimulants because it helps them concentrate.

Perhaps a more valuable effect to pay attention to is whether it calms you down? This is a counter-intuitive effect common in people with ADHD.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#229

Post by dns_snek »

_yb2s wrote: post #157
Perenti wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've consumed far more than my fair share of cannabis, starting at age 19. I'm also almost certainly ADHD (according to friend who's a psychiatrist, but says I'm untestable), and have a meaninglessly high IQ. I've noticed that amongst very slow people, more _seem_ to have started smoking dope at a very young age (9 to 12). The idea that pot could be very bad for adolescents in particular is not a new one. I certainly…

I recommend getting evaluated for ADHD. Both drugs and non-drug management strategies can radically improve your quality of life. I don’t see how you can be “untestable.” There is no test- they interview you and other people in your life to see if you have the symptoms or not.

> There is no test- they interview you and other people in your life to see if you have the symptoms or not.

This isn't universally true. Over here the evaluation lasts around 6 hours spread over 4 appointments with a specialist (a clinical psychologist) and consists of interviews, questionnaires, and a number of (stress) tests of your focus, impulsivity, and short term memory.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#230

Post by anal_reactor »

brailsafe wrote: post #225
anal_reactor wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As South Park put it, weed lets you feel ok about doing nothing, and that's dangerous in aggregate. I'd say, this is a huge feature, because in modern society we're losing the ability to just sit and do nothing. Look at old people, sometimes they spend hours just sitting and looking through the window, completely zoned out. I can't do that for five minutes no matter how stoned I am. My life revolves around having a…

> I'd say, this is a huge feature, because in modern society we're losing the ability to just sit and do nothing. Look at old people, sometimes they spend hours just sitting and looking through the window, completely zoned out. I can't do that for five minutes no matter how stoned I am. In moderation, I agree. Although given that numerous people have asked me why I don't where headphones at the gym, I might be an out…

I tried using it less, but it's not helping much :/
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